Archaeological excavation uncovers ancient Egyptian city

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Languages, Linguistics, and Literature Professor Robert Littman and Jay Silverstein directed archaeological activities in the Timai El Amdid, Egypt earlier this summer. At the excavation site called Tell Timai, the team uncovered the Egyptian city of Thmouis, a rare example of well-preserved Graeco-Roman city in the Nile Delta. The dig offers an exceptional opportunity to all aspects of life during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, dating from 300 B.C. to 600 A.D.

The excavation’s international team included several UH Mānoa students and others from around the world, including scholars from Egypt, England, Italy, Germany and Australia; professional staff and local helpers. High-tech surveys and meticulous and careful old-fashioned digging uncovered the settlement’s buildings and artifacts such as pottery, coins, glass, broken columns and even an ancient warrior body. The team’s long-term goal is to reconstruct an entire neighborhood through their findings.

Preservation, conservation and respect are utmost priorities for Littman and his team. Littman has conducted research in Egypt (and Israel) over the past 15 years and has earned the admiration and praise of his colleagues. He has served as a trustee of the Archaeological Institute of America, an organization of 220,000 archaeologists and lay members, and as the president of the local Hawaiʻi society.